1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with

I don't care if it's one bad apple, 100 or 1,000. Dodger fans have to dial back their venom against opposing fans at Dodger Stadium. There have been too many complaints to ignore. There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy for physical or verbal abuse (particularly cursing) at other fans, and Dodger Stadium security has to be more proactive in dealing with these incidents.

Waiting for someone to call the Dodger Stadium hotline with a complaint is not enough. Hire more security if you need to. You've still got five more days to prepare.

Dodger fans might have a chip on their shoulder about the team not getting enough respect before or during the Cubs series, but now it's the Phillies who have a right to complain, writes Tim Malcolm at Phillies Nation. Personally, I'm with Malcolm in that I'd be happy to fly under the radar.

Don Mattingly helped convince Dodger hitters to work the counts, relates Ross Newhan in the Times. I think it's great, but it's not as if that's not something many of us have been wanting for years.

Kim Ng will interview for the Seattle Mariners general manager job, but she has competition, reports Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

Several days ago 6,000 tickets were for sale at stubhub for Sundays game. It is down to 4,850 today.

The good news for me at playoff games is that the season ticket holders use their tickets so from row A - E I'm surrounded by good fans. The only exception are the people to the right of me as I think a broker owns those tickets as they are always for sale. I found that you don't see as many children/infants at the postseason games. Parents who have brought their children to many of the games during the year are bringing adult friends to the postseason. Of course I only have one game to base that opinion on.

Meanwhile, Molly can report back about how well-behaved the Phillies phans were toward her and fellow Dodger fans.

But I'm with you Jon, I've been distressed reading about some of the behavior going on at DS (knowing that there are certainly many more good-natured fans, well-behaved fans, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences to those who cross the line). "Less drink, more think," a friend of mine once, who admittedly had a few, said at Candlestick Park.

For a long while my high school hadn't been represented since Jesse Orosco stopped playing (which was a nice run), but then Ryan Spilborghs changed that with the Rockies' run last year. This year, bubkus.

I doubt we'll see as many Phillies fans at the Los Angeles games as we did Cubs fans.

My section, usually a rowdy bunch of working class fans, was actually pretty well-behaved. It normally takes an obnoxious fan of the opposing team to really set them off, and the Cubbies didn't exactly give Cubs fans much to be obnoxious about.

I won't, however, get into the time a Giants fan popped a beach ball with his teeth. Ugly stuff. Ugly ugly stuff.

18
I sat with Orosco's extended family for a Arizona spring training game during his last attempt to catch on with a team. They were awesome and kept telling stories about his high school days in Santa Barbara. Probably around 15 - 20 members were there to cheer him on.

My high school has not a single alumnus who has played professional baseball, in fact, the only professional athlete that I believe my was Gary Anderson, the Tampa Bay running back from the '80's. I blame our mascot, the Kewpie Doll.

I'll be there tomorrow and friday (whoo hoo!). In fact, I have 1 extra ticket for friday. Its a great seat in the infield level, row 30-ish behind 3rd base. The only catch is that you'll have to actually sit with me as I'm under strict orders to make sure that the ticket is not resold. MLB is funny that way and I don't want to get my wife fired. Its a $120 ticket and I'm not looking to make any money. Just to have a sympathetic Dodger fan to sit next to.

Email me at jaehyun.chang at gmail.com

Oh and yes, I'm planning on getting to Chickie and Pete's before the game as well...maybe by 6pm. So looking forward to this!

I have Sirius and listen to a lot of Sports radio. It seems like the "sports" guys like the Phillies in this series, because they live on the East Coast and have heard of Utley and Howard and Hamels, and have never heard of Billz and Kuroda. The only names that get mentioned are Manny and Torre.

On the other hand, the "baseball" guys are more mixed, as they know the Dodgers players and have respect for our pitching.

Most of what I heard in the past few days though has seemed like the nation's sports radio guys think the Phillies will win. Plus Leitch at Deadspin.com picked the Phillies in 7, just like he picked the Cubs in 5. :)

With the Dodgers in the running for the World Series, the Los Angeles City Council today unanimously approved a resolution calling for federal legislation to rename the area around Dodger Stadium "Dodgertown."

With the Dodgers in the running for the World Series, the Los Angeles City Council today unanimously approved a resolution calling for federal legislation to rename the area around Dodger Stadium "Dodgertown."

49 I think the first game he pitched for the Tigers, they showed the broadcast in SB. Not sure on all the details, as I was in Boston at the time, but apparently a lot of people watched.... him melt down and not do so hot :[

This should be... fun: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20081008_McCarver_outspoken_about_L_A__s_dread_man.html

"I mean, talk about wearing out your welcome in a town, and it was a long welcome with the Red Sox. But some of the things he did were simply despicable, despicable - like not playing, refusing to play. Forgetting what knee to limp on. And now it's washed, it's gone" ...

"A rejuvenated Manny, I think it would be fair to say," McCarver said, sitting in the Phillies dugout yesterday. "More than old Manny. Manny's doing things that even Manny doesn't do, [like] scoring on a double to right field from first base."

McCarver laughed and asked which knee was it that was hurting?

"It's a wonderful story in many, many ways, and from Boston's standpoint, it's a horrible story, I would imagine, because he could be doing that for Boston," McCarver said.*

42 Random question beach ball killer - Were you a smoker attending Angel games in the late 80's?

One of my cherished high school memories involves rescuing a beach ball popped by a guy with a cigarette at the Big A. We borrowed a used band-aid from a girl in front of us, patched it up and were lauded as heroes.

Of course now I'm older and disapprove of such youthful distractions like beach balls, rally towels, the wave, etc.

Joe Torre: C'mere kid.
Cory Wade: Yes sir.
JT: Drop the sir. I'm Joe.
CW: Yes sir--I mean Joe.
JT: That's better. [Torre places arm lightly around Wade's shoulder.] Listen, I just want you to know we're going to use you a lot this series.
CW: I know.
JT: I mean a lot--every game if we have to.
CW: I understand.
JT: We might ride you a little now, but you'll get a chance to rest up in the offseason.
CW: [Nods and clears throat.]
JT: How do you feel?
CW. Good. I'm ready.
JT: Glad to hear it. Get outta here.

This has been a reenactment. If it were an actual conversation, there would've been a greater payoff for the reader.

Nice piece on Broxton in the Philly Inquirer (sorry if this was linked earlier):

Future is now for the Dodgers' super saver
http://tinyurl.com/3op566

Broxton is physically imposing, but he is not one of those wild-man closers who thrive on intimidation. He is so soft-spoken that you find yourself leaning closer to hear him. His resting heart rate, you surmise, is not high.

"Laid back," he said with a little smile.

Waynesboro, his hometown in Georgia, is about 25 miles from famed Augusta. But it is more country than country club, billing itself as the "Bird Dog Capital of the World."

"I mean, there's three red lights or so," Broxton said. "I come from a lot of Mother Nature. Huntin', raisin' dogs. Bird dogs, raccoon dogs. I've had up to 22 dogs at one time. My granddad's had up to 40-something at one time."

That is not a suitable hobby in L.A.

"Nah, you can't have any big dogs," he said. "It's, uh, different here. A lot more people and not as many trees."

I was at the game last Saturday. While it was great to see Dodger fans so fired up, I thought a lot of people were way to aggressive toward the Cubs fans. If I were in Chicago and treated that way, I would have felt very uncomfortable.

Come on people, it's just a game, it's supposed to be fun, and there is NO EXCUSE for any verbal abuse towards any fans.

Jon, your DThoughts on fan behavior are still timely and if something isn't done in a big way, the Dodgers are going to be cast as irresponsible and liable when injury at Dodger Stadium becomes front page news. There could even be class action lawsuits filed. Well, that is my contribution to raise consciousness and if we all jump in here, maybe some good will come of it.

Regarding respect issues for the Dodgers, my thoughts are that respect comes from consistent and repeated positive actions and not from winning one playoff series in 20+ years. The Dodgers do not need respect now, they need our support.

Jon: Don Mattingly helped convince Dodger hitters to work the counts, relates Ross Newhan in the Times. I think it's great, but it's not as if that's not something many of us have been wanting for years.

I don't get the point of your last sentence, starting with the sour grapes "but". Someone finally came along and executed what we've been wanting. That's a good thing, (like you say), but then you get pissy about it.

0 i was at the third to last game this season and i was with my mom and grand parent. there were four big buys two rows in front of us standing and throwing out the f bomb every two seconds. buy the fourth inning about 16 people had left (hopefully to find new seats, not just leaving). the guy in front of me asked the big guys to sit down and they started ursing and threatening him. i finally went down and got a security guard who came and watched them and kicked em out.

my main problem is not that i had to get security, but that the user who was 50 feet in front of us was busier watching the game than observing the crowd.

I thought it would be funny if you all of a sudden became Manny's neighbor. I would have a hard time not waiting up for him to come home from a game, so I could peak my head out and say, "nice home run, Manny"

I'm a little late to the party, but Jeff King, the former 3B for the Pirates, is the only player I'm aware of who went to my high school.

I may be in L.A. the 21st through the 26th - what is the best way for me to get tickets to a possible Dodgers game that might be happening around then? I also live 1.5 hours from Fenway and try to go there as well.

Remember the Bill James comment in the HBA about how obnoxious drunks at games pretty much disappeared over time? I hope someone in charge has this as a priority, because there is absolutely no reason for it.

I hope the fear over losing customers (attendance was down this year, according to SI, for the first year in several.) doesn't inhibit some stringent crowd control.

Boston reportedly has some trouble with this, too.

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